The Iraqi Ministry of Health entered the crisis line, announcing the registration of a relative increase in meningitis cases in Sulaymaniyah and its neighboring regions, and sending a specialized team to the city to collect samples and study the cases. recorded from an epidemiological point of view. .
Details of the mission of the ministerial delegation
Ministry spokesman Saif Al-Badr told the Iraqi News Agency on Friday that “meningitis is present in Iraq and cases are recorded individually in all regions, but what happened in Sulaymaniyah and some of its neighboring regions is a relative increase in the number of cases, and immediately the Minister of Health led Salih Al-Hasnawi, sending a high-level team from the Department of Public Health, consisting of specialists the National Center for the Control of Communicable Diseases and experts in the field of epidemiology.
Al-Badr added, “The team visited the area, examined the cases and tests were carried out, samples were taken from them and sent to the Central Public Health Laboratory in Baghdad.”
Emphasizing that “the important point is that there are no deaths so far, and that all the registered cases are under control and that the necessary measures have been taken with them”, noting that “the injured are responding to the care and many of them have recovered”. ”
“We are waiting for the samples to be tested in order to know the reasons for the increase,” he said, calling on citizens “not to get carried away by the intimidation and what is published in certain media and certain social media pages”. ”
Despite assurances from responsible health authorities in Baghdad and the region that the disease is under control, parents are widely worried about their children, due to this unprecedented rise in infections with this infectious disease.
What is meningitis?
According to the World Health Organization:
Meningitis is a devastating disease that causes high mortality rates, which can lead to serious long-term complications.
- Meningitis remains a major public health issue worldwide.
Meningitis epidemics occur worldwide, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Meningitis is caused by many organisms, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.
- Bacterial meningitis is of particular concern. This type of meningitis kills 1 in 10 people who contract it and 1 in 5 suffers serious complications.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, usually caused by an infection. It is a fatal disease and requires immediate medical attention.
There are several kinds of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites that can cause meningitis, and most infections can be passed from person to person.
- Bacterial meningitis is the most serious type of meningitis, and it can kill the infected person within 24 hours, and meningitis can affect people of any age.
There are effective treatments and vaccines for some of the major bacterial causes of meningitis, but meningitis remains a major threat worldwide.
*Modes of transmission vary by organism and most bacteria that cause meningitis, such as meningococci, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae, are deposited in the nose and throat in humans and are transmitted from person to person through respiratory droplets or the throat. secretions, and streptococcus often settles in the human intestine or vagina, and can be transmitted from mother to fetus at the time of birth.
- Common symptoms of meningitis include stiff neck, fever, confusion or altered mental status, headache, nausea and vomiting. Less common symptoms include seizures, coma, and neurological disorders (such as loss of hearing or vision, cognitive deficits, or limb disorders). weakness).
- 1 in 5 survivors of an episode of bacterial meningitis may suffer long-term effects including hearing loss, seizures, limb weakness, difficulty with vision, speech, language, memory and communication, as well as scarring and amputation of limbs. after sepsis.
Pediatrician and neonatologist Dr Ghaith Ibrahim says in an interview with Sky News Arabia:
- The recording of meningitis cases in recent times calls of course for caution and work to avoid contact with people who are infected or who show signs of illness. Prevention is necessary here to avoid the spread of infection, in particularly in children.
- Symptoms are generally similar to colds and flu. Therefore, when you notice a rise in the temperature of the child, for example, it is necessary to pay attention and go to the doctor to determine the nature of the child’s condition, and begin to treat the illness in its early stages in order to avoid greater health complications.
- The important thing is not to worry too much as most cases of meningitis are treated, so follow precautionary measures and personal hygiene rules, including washing hands regularly, avoiding crowded places and closed, supervise children and reduce their contact with others during these times.
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